The Origins of Escabeche

The word escabeche is the Spanish word for ceviche. In the Philippines, it originally meant pickled fish. The 1919 cookbook Aklat ng Pagluluto (literally “book for cooking”), which documented, preserved, and translated into Tagalog the European-influenced dishes in the Philippines, describes the method for preparing escabeche de pescado. A whole fish is soaked in hot oil, then cooled; it is then topped off with vinegar, bay leaves, oregano, salt, and water. In 1941, a compilation of recipes from Cebu and other parts of the country called Our Favorite Recipes included a recipe for fish that was first fried, then marinated for several days, and served cold.